Sonia slams centre govt, says lockdown necessary but unplanned

New Delhi: The Congress working committee met on the backdrop of country facing the coronavirus pandemic and took feedback from the congress-ruled states, as party has been suggesting various measures to help the marginalised sections and daily wagers. Party president Sonia Gandhi slammed the lockdown as “unplanned” and emphasised that testing could only combat this disease which the country is “lacking” and demanded the government to prepare and publish a “Common minimum relief package”.

Sonia Gandhi in her opening remarks slammed the government, saying “the 21-day National Lockdown may have been necessary but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has caused chaos and pain in the lives of millions of migrant workers all over India.”

“The magnitude of the challenge before us is daunting but our resolve to overcome it must be greater,” she said.

“Our doctors, nurses, and health workers need all the support possible. Personal Protection Equipment such as hazmat suits, N-95 masks, etc must be provided to them on a war footing. Equally important are Ventilators and breathing equipment, isolation beds and designated hospitals to treat Covid-19. The onus lies on Government to ensure that the spread of infection and casualties are not caused owing to lack of infrastructure or preparedness,” she added.

Sonia Gandhi said that the pandemic has already caused untold suffering across the world, but it has also reaffirmed the bonds of brotherhood that unite humanity and those who are most vulnerable to the consequences of this pandemic are the poor and disadvantaged.